Router Combo Kit Reviews

Expert reviews of the latest and best Router Combo Kits on the market from top manufacturers Bosch, Dewalt, Festool, Porter Cable and Milwaukee. Router combo kits come with two bases – a fixed base and a plunge base – plus an interchangeable motor giving you two machines for little more than the price of one.

Router Combination Kits are the most popular type of router on the market. You get a single 2-1/4 HP motor with both 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch collets plus a fixed base and a plunge router base, which gives you maximum versatility and incredible value for money. For most woodworkers they give you all the routing capabilities that you are likely to need on a regular basis including the ability to use them in a router table.

The Bosch MRC23EVSK is Bosch’s latest router combo kit but with a difference – unlike other combos that have the power switch on the motor, the Bosch MRC23EVSK has the on/off switches on the handles of each base thanks to electrical connectors on the motor unit and on the bases, so you can start and stop the router and keep hold of it with both hands at the same time, which is safer and gives better control.

The Dewalt DWP611PK is Dewalt’s fantastic router combo kit in the 1.25 hp trim router class. Most router manufacturers have a fixed-base trim router but Dewalt is the only one to produce a router combo kit in this class. In fact the Dewalt DWP611PK is the only plunge router available in this power bracket, meaning if you want a small, lightweight plunge router, the Dewalt DWP611PK is it.

The Bosch 1617EVSPK Router Combination Kit is Bosch’s bestseller in the router combo market. One motor and two bases (fixed and plunge) means you don’t have to buy two dedicated machines – two routers for not much more than the price of one. Features that make the Bosch stand out include its micro-adjust dial for setting cutter depth on the fixed base, comfortable wood handles and easy bit changing in fixed-mode.

The DeWalt DW618PK 2-1/4 HP Router kit is Dewalt’s complete router kit which gives you the router motor plus both a fixed and a plunge base all in one cost-effective package. Some of the excellent features include a clear LEXAN sub-base, precise, rotating depth adjustment ring and patented through-the-column dust-collection system, all of which add up to an innovative, versatile router kit. Highly recommended.

The DeWalt DW618B3 Router kit is basically Dewalt’s bestselling DW618PK combo kit with an added D-handle base thrown in, so you’ve got all the bases well and truly covered (no pun intended). What you need to decide now is whether you want to spend an extra $25 for the additional D-handle base, and we think there’s one compelling reason why you should have 3 bases.

The Milwaukee 5616-24 Router Combo is Milwaukee’s excellent entry into the highly competitive 2-1/4 HP router combo market. As you would expect from Milwaukee with their reputation for tough, get-the-job-done power tools, the 5616-24 is one of the most solidly built router combo kits we have tested, plus it’s got a wrap-around palm grip on the fixed base which makes it really easy to use and control.

The Hitachi KM12VC Router Combo Kit is Hitachi’s complete router kit which gives you the router motor plus a fixed and a plunge base, plus 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch colletts giving maximum versatility in one cost-effective package, and at only $150 – $160 it really is good value. It’s also quieter and smoother than most other routers in this class, making it less tiring to use for prolonged periods.